Tag: Gates foundation

  • Bill Gates to drop off the world’s rich list

    Bill Gates to drop off the world’s rich list

    Microsoft co-founder and billionaire Bill Gates has announced that he is planning to give away all his wealth, adding that he will eventually “drop off” the world’s rich list. Gates first pledged to give away his wealth back in 2010.

    Gates, the fourth richest man in the world according to the Bloomberg Billionaire Index, plans to donate all his wealth to the Gates Foundation and will eventually be leaving the world’s rich list. Till date, he along with his ex-wife have donated more than $50 billion to the Gates Foundation, which is one of the world’s largest charity organisations that focuses on providing healthcare and education to individuals around the world. In 2020, they funded work in over 130 countries.

    Bill Gates announced that he would transfer $20 billion to the Gates Foundation this month.

    “I have an obligation to return my resources to society in ways that have the greatest impact for reducing suffering and improving lives. And I hope others in positions of great wealth and privilege will step up in this moment too.”

    Bill Gates held Forbes‘ title of the richest person in the world between 1995 and 2010, and again from 2013 to 2017.

  • Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation under fire for awarding ‘fascist’ Modi

    Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation under fire for awarding ‘fascist’ Modi

    The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation is facing massive criticism from prominent South Asian lawyers, human rights activists and philanthropists in the United States (US) after it announced to honour Indian Prime Minister (PM) Narendra Modi with an award, The Guardian reported.

    According to the details, the foundation is said to give Modi “The Global Goalkeeper” award for his “Clean India Programme” under which millions of toilets were set up and benefits of sanitation and hygiene were publicised.

    Reacting to the news about the award, a group of South Asian Americans working in philanthropy on Tuesday wrote an open letter to the Gates Foundation, alleging that Modi had effectively confined millions to their communities.

    The letter also urged the organisation to rescind the award.

    “For over a month now, PM Modi has placed 8 million people in Indian occupied Kashmir (IoK) under house arrest, blocked communications and media coverage to the outside world, detained thousands of people, including children, and denied basic benefits,” said the letter.

    The award comes amid growing criticism of detention and deportation of Muslims in Assam and Kashmir and human rights violations in IoK since August 5 under Modi’s rule have made front pages around the world.

    While Modi’s government claims that the programme has given 90% of Indians access to clean toilets, press reports suggest otherwise. Reports claim that many of the newly-built toilets remain unused because of poor access to water and caste rules that restrict people from cleaning them.